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McRae dreams of 'a chance to win'

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 21, 2001

BOSTON -- Hal McRae has a dream. Well, okay, not a dream. But hope, and good wishes.

With 16 games left in a season where it seems the best thing the Rays could accomplish is not losing 100 games, McRae has grander plans.

"I would hope that we could play near .500 the remainder of this year and next year. Somewhere near the .500 mark, which gives you a chance each night to win," McRae said.

"I would hope that we could. That might be a stretch, but it's an awful feeling to show up at the ballpark and not think you can play .500 ball. That seems like a waste. And maybe we can't, but, hell, I've got to think that we can. Why even show up if you know you can't compete?

"When I say .500, I'm not talking about an 81-81 kind of thing, but something near that mark where you don't stink up the place."

With budgetary concerns making it unlikely the Rays will be able to add established players, improving to even 75 wins might be the most the Rays could hope for. But given how this season has gone (51-94), that would be an accomplishment.

There was a six-week stretch after the All-Star break when the Rays essentially were a .500 team. From July 21 through Aug. 28, they went 18-17 in 35 games.

They are 3-10 since, but McRae sees no reason they can't finish the season the way the were playing a few weeks ago.

The key, McRae said, is believing they can do it. Earlier this season, that wasn't the case. "You don't like to think that way, but in hindsight probably not," McRae said. "You like to always think you have a chance to win, but it's more believable now. I think we can say it with conviction now. Maybe we couldn't in May, though we said it anyway."

Basically, McRae has to think the Rays can be better.

"You don't know that, but from my standpoint I have to think that there's a light at the end of the tunnel," he said.

"I don't want to ever wake up and not think we can't play near .500. Maybe you can't, but, hell, I think that's hard to swallow and hard to accept the fact that you're just going to stink."

TOE SIDELINED: Greg "Toe" Nash, the much-publicized outfield prospect from rural Louisiana, has a tear in his right knee and may need surgery.

Nash, who hit .240 with eight homers and 29 RBI during a somewhat impressive first season of pro ball, felt discomfort while playing in Princeton, W. Va., and apparently aggravated the injury Tuesday in St. Petersburg during the second day of instructional league workouts.

"He should be ready for spring training," minor-league field coordinator Tom Foley said.

ACTION PENDING: Aware teams such as the Mets and Reds have pledged to donate one day's pay to attack-related relief and benefit funds, Rays players are considering similar action.

"We're trying to come up with something here," Greg Vaughn said. "I don't know what it will be yet, but we're talking about doing something. We should have something in the next couple days."

RAYS BITS: Vaughn's left calf is sore enough that he may be limited to pinch-hitting until Tuesday's game in New York. ... The Rays began play Thursday with 40 stolen bases since Aug. 1, second to the Mariners. ... The Rays have one save (in four opportunities) in 28 games since Aug. 12.

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